Lab Journal Entry #22

[matril]

"Guardian Angel"

Int., Shadowy place

CREATURE (VO)
Perhaps you are astonished to find me so eloquent. It is astonishing indeed that I have come to master language so rapidly, but perhaps you ought to have expected extraordinary mental capacity from one whose brain you shaped and enhanced yourself, my absent Maker. In any case, I was not always so adroit with language. I have marked this recording as the first to watch, as I am now far more capable of describing the events immediately following my birth. But I refer you now to the recording labeled “Two” for a look at the days after I first obtained this camera. Perhaps it is a complicated chronology, but surely you, my dear Maker (spoken sneeringly) who was brilliant enough to create life itself, are capable of following along?

Cut to int., late afternoon, dim but not as dark. Now we see details of what looks like a garage, lined with messily filled shelves, clearly a storage area that hasn’t been touched by its owners in a long time. The camera pans around shakily, briefly showing the creature’s torso without revealing a face, then focuses on a door that is open just a tiny crack. Through the crack can be heard faint music, a slow sad song on a guitar. When the music stops, voices start speaking

MRS CLANCY
(Off) I wish you’d sing along, Abby. You always used to.

ABBY
(Off) Mom...

MRS CLANCY
It’s all right. I know. (Pause) When is your brother coming home?

ABBY
Should be any minute now.

CREATURE
(Haltingly, longingly, in a whisper) Bro-ther. Home.

MRS CLANCY
Well, I just hope he had more luck today than yesterday. He can’t stay at that backbreaking job. They work him to the bone, yet he’s barely bringing home enough to pay the rent.

ABBY
I know.

MRS CLANCY
(Pause) You know you should really go out job-hunting yourself tomorrow.

ABBY
We’ve talked about this, Mom.

CREATURE
(Whisper) Mom.

ABBY
I can’t leave you. You need help –

MRS CLANCY
I can get around all right. (Door opens, footsteps)

PHILLIP
(Off) Hi, Mom. Hi, sis.

CREATURE
(Whispers) Sis.

MRS CLANCY
Hello, Phillip! (Pause.) No luck?

PHILLIP
No. I’m sorry.

MRS CLANCY
Don’t apologize.

PHILLIP
I should. You both know this is my fault. If I hadn’t been suckered by that guy, we’d still be –

ABBY
Don’t you dare blame yourself. He fooled a lot of people.

PHILLIP
Yeah, well nobody else lost their entire family fortune. (Pause) And his fiancée into the bargain.

ABBY
(Hesitantly) Phillip –

PHILLIP
Never mind. I don’t want to talk about it.

ABBY
I just – you’re really not thinking Sophie abandoned you, are you? You know how controlling her father was. If she had any choice in the matter, I’m sure she would have gone with us.

PHILLIP
To live like this? No. And who could blame her? She’s better off.

MRS CLANCY
I think it’s better for all of us if we don’t dwell on the past. Let’s try to think of something positive.

(Long pause)

ABBY
Oh, here’s something. I think our guardian angel has been at it again. You know that drippy faucet in the kitchen that’s been driving us crazy for weeks? This morning it was good as new.

PHILLIP
I don’t know...it’s just too bizarre. Why would someone break into our house only to repair things? I’m not complaining, I’m just...I’m not sure what it means.

ABBY
Yeah, I was kind of freaked out at first too, but we’re being careful. We keep all the doors locked, we don’t leave any valuables lying around –

PHILLIP
(Mutters) Like we have any of those anymore.

ABBY
All I’m saying is, we might as well be grateful.

PHILLIP
I’m grateful. I’d just like to know who this mysterious repairman is.

MRS CLANCY
I’d like to say thank you.

CREATURE
(Whispers) Thank – you.